Using Lead Generation Tips – Control, Not Kill, Enthusiasm

10Jul

Many IT lead generation campaigns rely on support from additional marketing channels. Things like your IT company websites, a bit of social media presence, and a few blogs could actually make quite a difference in your marketing image. More importantly however, they can keep your main lead generation process free from overenthusiastic prospects who tend to have exaggerated expectations from today’s technology.

How Toned Down Excitement Can Help Lead Generation

As an example of how excitement can sometimes lead to error, here is a brief quote from an AllThingsD article regarding the misconceptions of “The Internet of Things.”

“We are oversimplifying the landscape. Each specific device seems to connect to its particular cloud service. There isn’t really one cloud. Every manufacturer has their own cloud service, and often these clouds are closed, proprietary environments.”

Do not presume that just because your lead generation campaign targets the more serious business decision makers does not mean consumer misconceptions rise to their level. Depending on your industry, these misconceptions can spread up the corporate ladder faster than you think. You can even argue that qualified sales leads for your lead generation campaign tend to be from prospects whose industry does not value IT or computer literacy.

Of course, there could be a lot of good reasons for it. Most often it is the end results being desired by your prospects and clients, not really the finer points of how it is being done.

Now knowing that, you should really make sure that the support your lead generation campaign gets runs more or less like the AllThingsD article. The problem however could be the potential for disappointment and sudden resistance to what your IT company can offer. Take that quote for example. How can you make sure that such sobering facts do not prevent your prospect from maintaining the interest they had in your business?

Show that it can be worked around – Starting with the support, give hints that such limitations can still be worked around. This is the point where you use their curiosity to draw them into the main prospecting process. Simply put, if they want to know more, they would want to engage your company more. After that, it is only a matter of time before deeper engagement results in a sale and a new business relationship.

Present developments of the industry dedicated to their desire – Another way you can support your lead generation process is by sharing news regarding your whole industry’s efforts to developing what your prospect really wants. Around the end of the article, there is already an acknowledgement that the so-called “Internet of Things” can be realized because the problems have already been recognized.

Maintain their image of the possibilities – Finally, you would want your lead generation campaign to keep prospects looking forward. This does not just mean forward towards the end of the lead generation process. This means maintaining that image of technological advancement (which is why they are even in your lead generation process in the first place). Sober them up with the limitations but assure them that their goals are possible.

The common mistakes of an information-based lead generation strategy range from dullness to disappointment. Turn that around by qualifying your IT sales leads with more open and optimistic conversations regarding development. This controls their enthusiasm but does not completely kill it.